


Order of Operations

by Whisper132



Series: The Parabola Continuum [9]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-28
Updated: 2009-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-23 14:45:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/251494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisper132/pseuds/Whisper132
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Osamu and Gin reach another milestone in their ever-frustrating relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Order of Operations

  
At the end of junior high, Gin was allowed to have the guest futon 20cm away from Osamu's. After Gin's first successful high school math exam, Osamu allowed Gin to sit close enough on the couch for their hips to touch. Gin was allowed to put his arm around Osamu after making it onto the tennis team, even though he was an alternate. When Gin completed his midterm exams with satisfactory marks, Osamu allowed hugging – above the waist, no wandering hands – so long as they were inside of Osamu's apartment.

Results for his first high school year-end exams in hand, Gin let himself into Osamu's apartment. Osamu wouldn't be home yet – it was only 5pm and Osamu didn't get home from school until 8 – but Gin wanted to start on dinner and clean up a bit. Spring vacation was starting and, even though Osamu had a few more days of work left, Gin wanted to spend as much time with his…with Osamu as he could.

Gin's father had begun scolding him for spending so much time away from home. He said that playing around with friends was good, but that Gin should start taking his studies seriously. Ishida-san expected Gin to attend his old college and to begin preparations to enter into the family business. Running a large business was difficult, Ishida-san said, and would require lots of study. A degree in business would help, but Gin would need hands-on experience if he was to succeed his father, experience that could only be gotten on the weekends and school holidays.

If Gin didn't want his father storming Osamu's apartment and demanding answers, he had to keep his grades up and start trying to learn from his father. He wouldn't be able to see Osamu as much in the next few months – Ishida-san had a schedule of events for Gin to attend – so Gin wanted to make sure that their time together wasn't wasted. If he had dinner ready to go when Osamu got home, they could skip the "what do you want to eat?" conversation and move straight to the couch, where Gin would show Osamu his good marks and hopefully be rewarded.

This in mind, Gin donned his apron and began chopping vegetables.

  
*****

  
Osamu could remember what it was like being in high school. He spent most of those years on the roof with his buddies, sneaking cigarettes and avoiding class. He spent the rest of the time trying to get some. He was moderately successful, too, which was why, as Gin made his way through his first year, Osamu was a paranoid wreck. There were plenty of loose girls who would jump at the chance to be with someone like Gin. The kid was nice, athletic, and made sukiyaki that was to die for. It would be better, Osamu told himself, to let his relationship with Gin fade away. As Gin went through high school he'd realize that hanging out with a guy like Osamu wasn't going to get him anywhere and that his future was supposed to be with a pretty, obedient girl that would make his parents happy. The kid was clearly unhappy anyway, having to wait so long to get down to business when all of his friends were probably swapping stories in the locker-room.

All the worrying made Osamu feel very old.

"I'm home," he said as he entered his apartment. It was reflex now; he said it even if he didn't know Gin was going to be there when he came home.

"Welcome back." Gin emerged from the kitchen with his black apron on. It was a little something Osamu picked up from the 100 yen shop after Gin spilled curry on his school uniform. Gin had been pleased.

Osamu hung up his coat – a habit Gin had gotten him into – and went to see what Gin was making in the kitchen. It smelled like sukiyaki. "The team for next year is going to suck," he said to make conversation. "The new regulars keep asking me questions and won't let me sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Kin-chan told me something like that." Gin's hands gripped Osamu's shoulders and started massaging. "He said he'd try to talk to them."

"I can't believe I made that monkey the team captain." Osamu gave in and gave a small hum of delight. Gin was really, really good at shoulder massages. His big fingers and strong hands dug deep into Osamu's knotted muscles. It was heaven.

"He's going to do well," Gin said, letting go. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry."

With Gin's hands gone, Osamu's shoulders felt cold and heavy. "I'm starving." Osamu went to clear off the table so they could watch TV and eat. "You've been busy," he called back to Gin when he saw the job was already done.

Gin emerged from the kitchen with two trays. "I had time while I was waiting for you to get home."

Osamu sat down on the couch and Gin sat next to him, almost too close for Osamu to eat and not knock elbows. "Can you scoot a bit," Osamu asked.

Gin frowned and inched away. "Sorry," he said.

Osamu knew that voice. It was the voice Gin used when he thought Osamu was being unreasonable. It was usually reserved for when Osamu called Gin a kid or reminded Gin that there were laws they both needed to abide by.

"This is good," Osamu said, trying to break the awkward silence. He scooted a little closer, hoping to repair some of the damage.

Gin continued to eat, taking his food in large mouthfuls.

"How'd your exams go? You got results today, right?" They had both worked hard to prepare Gin for his exams. Osamu tutored him in math and drilled him in his other subjects for days. Keeping Gin's grades high was one way to keep Gin's parents from protesting when Gin wandered off to Osamu's place every other weekend.

Gin set down his chopsticks and took out a piece of paper. Passing it to Osamu he said, "Here."

Osamu looked over the marks. "Not bad. Your old man'll be happy." His stomach tightened at the thought of Ishida-san.

"He will," Gin said. "Are you done?"

"Yeah."

Gin cleared the table and returned to the couch. "How was work?" Gin's arm wrapped around Osamu's shoulder.

"Long." Osamu leaned into the embrace. Gin smelled like sukiyaki. "Just four more days left and I'll have some vacation. The crazy secretaries tried to get me to go on a staff trip. Those things are too damn expensive." Osamu had better uses for 40,000 yen. Gin had been eyeing a pair of shoes and his parents thought they were too frivolous an expenditure, so Osamu planned to get them for Gin, a sort of random gift thing. He heard that random gifts were good for relationships.

"I have to go observe at Dad's work most of my vacation." Gin gave a little snort and leaned into Osamu. "It's going to be boring."

It took Osamu the better part of a month to decide what Gin's reward would be for good year-end marks. Once he'd decided, he had to figure out how to deliver said reward. Now seemed the right time.

"Uh, cheer up. It won't be so bad." Twisting a little, Osamu brushed his lips over Gin's. "He's just trying to…AH!"

  
*****

  
Gin's body reacted before his brain did. Osamu was light, so tossing him onto his back wasn't really a difficult task.

It was just a small kiss, the pressure less than the goodnight pecks Gin's mother gave, but the contact shot from Gin's lips to his pelvis instantly. "Osamu," he whispered, pressing the other man down with one arm. Without sparing another breath, he brought his lips down to Osamu's and attempted to part the other man's mouth with his tongue.

It proved more difficult than he anticipated.

"Shit," Osamu said through a coughing fit. "Don't just stick your tongue down another guy's throat, kid."

Gin helped Osamu to sit up. "Sorry," he said. The only thing he was sorry about was that he hadn't been able to pull off the maneuver that, while super sexy in his head, seemed to be not so sexy in real life.

"Look," Osamu said, turning his head away, "just hold still for a second, okay?"

Gin held perfectly still.

"And close your eyes."

Gin closed his eyes.

"And don't move until I tell you to or I'm kicking you out."

Before Gin could say that he understood and would stay perfectly still, there was a pressure against his mouth. A wet heat pressed against his lips and they parted of their own will.

His arms stung with the effort of holding still and it took all of Gin's willpower to keep his eyes closed as he felt Osamu in his mouth, a burning presence that snaked around, scalding Gin's senses until he was aware of every sound around him. He heard the couch creaking as Osamu shifted forward and felt the heat of Osamu's hands before they ever touched his shoulders.

"That's how you do it," Osamu said, pulling away.

Opening his eyes and trying to collect his breath, Gin nodded. He managed a raspy, "Okay, " before he dashed off to the privacy of the bathroom.

  
*****

  
He totally overdid it. He meant to just give the kid a little peck on the cheek and leave it at that, but then the brat started in with the crappy kiss and Osamu had to fix things. If he didn't train the kid properly, he'd be stuck with an untrained, bumbling idiot for…however long.

"You okay?" Osamu asked when Gin returned, red-faced, from the bathroom.

"My lunch didn't agree with me," Gin lied.

"Eat too much junk food and that'll happen. Don't let Chitose treat you to lunch anymore." Osamu tried resolutely to not think about what was actually keeping Gin preoccupied in the bathroom. He'd let one barrier come down between them, but there were dozens more that needed to stay right where they were.

"Osamu, is it okay if-"

"Sit down, my show's starting." Osamu ignored the eagerness in Gin's eyes as he sat and pressed his arm down between Osamu's back and the couch, a hand wandering dangerously close to places deemed inappropriate. "Hands, Gin," Osamu warned.

"Does that...does this mean we can…" Gin's voice shook as he leaned down toward Osamu.

Osamu put up a hand, intercepting Gin's puckered lips. "I'm gonna miss my show."

Gin's shoulders slumped.

"Maybe," Osamu said, "if you can keep your damn hand away from my ass, we'll get some practice in during a commercial or something."

Gin's hand immediately relocated to Osamu's shoulder and stayed there, trembling oh so slightly, for the remainder of the evening.


End file.
